Media systems receive audio and/or video media streams from one or more sources, process the media streams in some manner, and then distribute the one or more resulting media streams to one or more output devices which may include speakers, video monitors, and recording devices.
A mixing console or audio mixer, generally referred to as a sound board is an electronic device for combining audio signals, routing the received and/or combined audio signals, and changing the level, timbre, and/or dynamics of the audio signals. The modified signals are combined together to produce combined output signals.
Multiple mixers may be used where the mixers perform sub-mixing. The mixing of the audio signals occurs in a hierarchical fashion, with groups of signals being pre-mixed in one mixer, and the result of that pre-mix being fed into another mixer where it is combined with other individual signals or other pre-mixes coming from other sub-mixers.
Referring to FIG. 1, traditionally media systems are implemented using a central mixing console that is responsible for combining, processing, and distributing the various media streams. The system's connectivity is configured with the central device as a hub and point-to-point connections extending between the central device and each input or output device. Furthermore, in most instances, these point-to-point connections between the central device and endpoints usually accommodate only the media signal itself. The central device does not typically have a manner of determining what endpoint devices are connected to it, nor a manner of directly controlling the endpoint devices.
For example, in the case of a sound reinforcement system for live performance, the central device is the audio mixing console. The endpoint devices are microphones, instruments, and speakers, and the connectivity between each of these endpoints and the mixing console is an analog cable.
The mixing console cannot determine by itself which of its ports have endpoint devices connected, nor can it determine what endpoint device is connected to a given port, nor can it directly control endpoint devices. As a result, signal routing is often very complex and it is very common for errors to occur when setting up the many signal paths required in a typical sound system.
Because the mixing console cannot determine how many of its ports have endpoint devices connected, it must always present the user with control capabilities for all possible ports. So even if there is only one microphone and one speaker connected, the user must still cope with a complicated control interface that may support dozens of endpoint devices. Also, the inability to control endpoints often makes it necessary for a system operator to physically go to where the endpoint devices are located in order to adjust endpoint device settings such as power on/off, gain, frequency, etc.
Referring to FIG. 2, in the case of a consumer entertainment system, the central device is an A/V receiver, and the endpoints are devices such as cable boxes, DVRs, media streamers, speakers, and video monitors. Connectivity between the endpoints and the central device is usually implemented either with one or more analog cables, optical cables, or via digital HDMI cables, all of which are strictly point-to-point connections.
While HDMI cables may provide for exchange of some limited device identification and control information, analog and optical cables do not. So, in the general case, the A/V receiver does not necessarily know which of its ports have devices connected, what the connected devices are, or have a way to control those devices. This gives rise to the alarmingly large collection of remote control units needed to operate a typical consumer entertainment system, which in turn makes such systems so very difficult to fathom and vexing to use.